The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170 The Murder Of Thomas Becket, 1170 Printer Friendly Version >>> A sword's crushing blow extinguished the life of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, on a cold December evening as he struggled on the steps of his altar. The brutal event sent a tremor through Medieval Europe. Public opinion of the time and subsequent history have laid the blame for the murder at the feet of Becket's former close personal friend, King Henry II. Becket was born in 1118, in Normandy the son of an English merchant. His family was well off, his father a former Sheriff of London. Becket benefited from his family's status first by being sent to Paris for his education and from there to England where he joined the household of Theobold, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket's administrative skills, his charm, intelligence and diplomacy propelled him forward. The archbishop sent him to Paris to study law and upon his return to England made him Archdeacon of Canterbury. A Medieval Mass Becket's big break came in 1154, when Theobold introduced him to the newly crowned King, Henry II.

The two hit it off immediately, their similar personal chemistries forming a strong bond between them. Henry named Becket his Chancellor. Archbishop Theobold died in 1161, and Henry immediately saw the opportunity to increase his influence over the Church by naming his loyal advisor to the highest ecclesiastical post in the land. Henry petitioned the Pope who agreed. There was only one slight hindrance. Becket, busy at court, had never been ordained. No problem, Becket was first invested as a priest. The next day he was ordained a Bishop, and that afternoon, June 2, 1162, made Archbishop of Canterbury. If King Henry believed that by having "his man" in the top post of the Church, he could easily impose his will upon this powerful religious institution, he was sadly mistaken. Becket's allegiance shifted from the court to the Church inspiring him to take a stand against his king. In those days, the Church reserved the right to try felonious clerics in their own religious courts of justice and not those of the crown. Henry was determined to increase control of his realm by eliminating this custom.

In 1163, a Canon accused of murder was acquitted by a church court. The public outcry demanded justice and the Canon was brought before a court of the king. Becket's protest halted this attempt but the action spurred King Henry to change the laws to extend his courts' jurisdiction over the clergy. Becket vacillated in his support of the king, finally refusing to agree to changes in the law. His stand prompted a royal summons to Henry's court at Northampton and the king's demand to know what Becket had done with the large sums of money that had passed through his hands as Chancellor. "Who will rid meddlesome priest?" Seeing the writing on the wall, Becket fled to France where he remained in exile for six years. The two former friends appeared to resolve their dispute in 1170 when King Henry and Becket met in Normandy. On November 30, Becket crossed the Channel returning to his post at Canterbury. Earlier, while in France, Becket had excomunicated the Bishops of London and Salisbury for their support of the king. Now, Becket remained steadfast in his refusal to absolve the bishops.

This news threw King Henry (still in France) into a rage in which he was purported to shout: "What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest." The king's exact words have been lost to history but his outrage inspired four knights to sail to England to rid the realm of this annoying prelate. They arrived at Canterbury during the afternoon of December 29 and immediately searched for the Archbishop. Becket fled to the Cathedral where a service was in progress. The knights found him at the altar, drew their swords and began hacking at their victim finally splitting his skull. The death of Becket unnerved the king. The knights who did the deed to curry the king's favor, fell into disgrace. Several miracles were said to occur at the tomb of the martyr and he was soon canonized. Hordes of pilgrims transformed Canterbury Cathedral into a shrine. Four years later, in an act of penance, the king donned a sack-cloth walking barefoot through the streets of Canterbury while eighty monks flogged him with branches. Henry capped his atonement by spending the night in the martyr's crypt. St.

Thomas continued as a popular cultist figure for the remainder of the Middle Ages. ADVERTISMENT Observations of a Monk Edward Grim, a monk, observed the attack from the safety of a hiding place near the altar. He wrote his account some time after the event. Acceptance of his description must be qualified by the influence that Becket's sainthood had on Grim's perspective. However, the fundamentals of his narrative are no doubt true. We pick up the story after the knights have stormed into the cathedral. "The murderers followed him; 'Absolve', they cried, 'and restore to communion those whom you have excommunicated, and restore their powers to those whom you have suspended.' "He answered, 'There has been no satisfaction, and I will not absolve them.' 'Then you shall die,' they cried, 'and receive what you deserve.' 'I am ready,' he replied, 'to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.

But in the name of Almighty God, I forbid you to hurt my people whether clerk or lay.' "Then they lay sacrilegious hands on him, pulling and dragging him that they may kill him outside the church, or carry him away a prisoner, as they afterwards confessed. But when he could not be forced away from the pillar, one of them pressed on him and clung to him more closely. Him he pushed off calling him 'pander', and saying, 'Touch me not, Reginald; you owe me fealty and subjection; you and your accomplices act like madmen.' "The knight, fired with a terrible rage at this severe repulse, waved his sword over the sacred head. 'No faith', he cried, 'nor subjection do I owe you against my fealty to my lord the King.' The murder of from a contemporary manuscript "Then the unconquered martyr seeing the hour at hand which should put an end to this miserable life and give him straightway the crown of immortality promised by the Lord, inclined his neck as one who prays and joining his hands he lifted them up, and commended his cause and that of the Church to God, to St.

Mary, and to the blessed martry Denys. Scarce had he said the words than the wicked knight, fearing lest he should be rescued by the people and escape alive, leapt upon him suddenly and wounded this lamb who was sacrificed to God on the head, cutting off the top of the crown which the sacred unction of the chrism had dedicated to God; and by the same blow he wounded the arm of him who tells this. For he, when the others, both monks and clerks, fled, stuck close to the sainted Archbishop and held him in his arms till the one he interposed was almost severed. "Then he received a second blow on the head but still stood firm. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living victim, and saying in a low voice, 'For the Name of Jesus and the protection of the Church I am ready to embrace death.' "Then the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay, by which the sword was broken against the pavement, and the crown which was large was separated from the head. The fourth knight prevented any from interfering so that the others might freely perpetrate the murder.

"Let us away He will rise no more." "As to the fifth, no knight but that clerk who had entered with the knights, that a fifth blow might not be wanting to the martyr who was in other things like to Christ, he put his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to say, scattered his brain and blood over the pavement, calling out to the others, 'Let us away, knights; he will rise no more.' References: Abbot, Edwin A., St. Thomas of Canterbury (1898); Compton, Piers, The Turbulent Priest (1964); Hollister, Warren C., Medieval Europe: a short history (1975) How To Cite This Article: "The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170" EyeWitness to History, (1997). King Henry II was the father of Richard-the- Lionhearted and of King John of Magna Carta fame. King Henry VIII destroyed the shrine dedicated to Thomas Becket at Canterbury. BBC - History - Thomas Becket z Thomas Becket © Becket was a 12th century chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury whose murder resulted in his canonisation.

Thomas Becket was born in around 1120, the son of a prosperous London merchant. He was well educated and quickly became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome. Becket's talents were noticed by Henry II, who made him his chancellor and the two became close friends. When Theobald died in 1161, Henry made Becket archbishop. Becket transformed himself from a pleasure-loving courtier into a serious, simply-dressed cleric. The king and his archbishop's friendship was put under strain when it became clear that Becket would now stand up for the church in its disagreements with the king. In 1164, realising the extent of Henry's displeasure, Becket fled into exile in France, and remained in exile for several years. He returned in 1170. On the 29 December 1170, four knights, believing the king wanted Becket out of the way, confronted and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.

The Death of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral By Ben Johnson | Comments Murder in the cathedral. Thomas Becket, a London merchant’s son, was a complex person – in his youth he was a normal ebullient young man, stormy and proud, selfish and arrogant, vain, and anxious to please, but in later life, became one of the most pious and devout Archbishops of the 12th century. Despite differences in their status Thomas’s greatest friend was Henry, who was later to become King Henry II of England. They hunted and played chess together, people said the two men ‘had but one heart and one mind’. When at the age of 21 Henry became king, Becket became his Chancellor. Both furious workers, they laboured tirelessly to bring law and order to Henry’s realm. It was during Henry’s reign those legal terms such as ‘trial by jury’ and ‘assizes’ (sittings) became so familiar in the English language. The king’s judges travelled the country administering the common law – the law of all free men. The exception to this was the Church, which had its own courts and own laws.

Priests who murdered or raped could avoid common-law justice by claiming ‘benefit of clergy’, the right to be tried in the bishop’s court. The worst that could happen here was to be issued with a severe penance or exceptionally, expulsion (defrocking) from the priesthood. Much of the power in the country at that time was enjoyed and exploited by the rich bishops and abbots of the Church. And, whilst the Church swore loyalty to the king, they also insisted that their true allegiance was to God and his earthly representative, the Pope in Rome. On the death of his Archbishop of Canterbury in May 1161, Henry saw his chance of bringing the Church to heel, by promoting his best friend Thomas to the newly vacated post. With the donning of his archbishop’s robes however, Becket’s whole demeanour seems to have changed, as he appeared to have experienced a religious conversion. ‘Born again’ Thomas changed completely – from then on he wore a sackcloth shirt which reached to his knees, and swarmed with all forms of wildlife. He had a very sparse diet, and his accustomed drink was water. King Henry and Becket remained good friends until they clashed over clerical privilege.

Henry stated that the church was subject to the law of the land, but Becket insisted that the Church was above the law. Their confrontation came to a head at Northampton Castle in October 1164, when supporters of Henry questioned Thomas’s loyalty to his king by accusing him of being a ‘Traitor’. Some harsh words were exchanged …‘Whoremonger!’, ‘Bastard!’, and other such choice expressions, before Thomas made a strategic withdrawal …to France! Thomas spent some six years in exile before things calmed down sufficient for him to return to Canterbury. Preaching from the cathedral on Christmas Day 1170, Thomas again displayed his stormy temperament when he excommunicated some of his fellow bishops with the words …’May they all be damned by Jesus Christ!’ Henry became incensed when he heard of this outburst and is said to have uttered the fateful words “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!” Four of Henry’s knights, probably not the brightest of men, took this as a summons to action, and left for Canterbury immediately.

They reached Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, where they found Becket before the High Altar, as he had gone there to hear Vespers. One of the knights approached him, and struck Becket on the shoulder with the flat of his sword. It seems that the knights did not at first intend to kill Becket, but as he stood firm after the first blow, the four attacked and butchered him. It is recorded that they cracked open his skull spilling his brains onto the cathedral floor! Henry was horrified when he heard the news as he believed that it was his words that had been the cause of Becket’s death. As an act of penitence he donned sackcloth and ashes, and starved himself for three days. Becket was immediately hailed as a martyr and canonised in 1173, and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became famous throughout Christendom. Unfortunately this shrine was totally destroyed at the Reformation in 1538, but his tomb can be seen in St. Thomas’s in Trinity Chapel behind the high altar. Tweet If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

The Hereford Mappa Mundi - Great world maps were an English speciality in the Middle Ages and were drawn on cloth, walls or animal skin. Only the Hereford World Map – Mappa Mundi – has survived complete and is believed to be the world’s largest medieval map. Archbishops of Canterbury - One of the 'top jobs' in England, but not always very safe ... Canterbury - One of the most beautiful and historic cities in England ... William Marshal, a Knight's Tale - The remarkable story of how the fourth son of a minor 12th century baron rose to be one of the richest men of his day and Regent of England is a true Knight's Tale! Advertising Murder of Thomas Becket Home Murder of Thomas Becket Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is having issues with his good friend, Britain’s King Henry II. It is the 12th century, and Becket is proving he is not a push-over. He takes his role as Archbishop very seriously, doing all he can to protect the Church’s interests whenever disagreements erupt between the Church and the King. This causes the King great displeasure, and it is straining their friendship.

Among other issues, Becket refuses to sign a document known as the “ Constitutions of Clarendon .” Why does he refuse to sign this document? Because he believes this new law would—among other things—end-up punishing clerics twice for the same crime. Becket is adamant in his refusal to agree to such a thing. In 1164, Becket is found guilty of treason at the Great Council held in Northampton. Avoiding whatever adverse consequences might flow from this verdict, Becket flees to France. Becket has the sitting Pope ( Alexander III ) on his side, however. The Pope threatens the King with excommunication from the Catholic Church, so Henry lets Becket come home to England. At this stage of their quarrels, it seems that Becket has bested the King (who views Becket as a “troublesome priest”). In the presence of English Barons, Henry II—who is now utterly vexed by Becket's actions—cries out: Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest? Believing the King meant for Becket to be murdered, four knights ride to Canterbury Cathedral and kill Becket on December 29, 1170 .

That scene is recreated in this film clip, starring Richard Burton (as Becket) and Peter O'Toole (as Henry II). Internet History Sourcebooks Project Edward Grim: The Murder of Thomas Becket Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered on December 29, 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral. Although the great struggles of Church and State in the middle ages were played out between the pope and German emperors, or the popes and French kings, the conflict between Henry II and Becket is a witness of the widespread and localized impact of the conflict. The murder of Becket has been the subject of much discussion. W.L. Warren in Henry II (Berkeley: 1973) held that Becket welcomed martyrdom, and could have escaped if he had wanted. Once dead, Becket was hailed as a saint, and his shrine became one of the most celebrated pilgrimage sites of western Europe, and the destination of Geoffrey Chaucer's pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales. One of the best accounts of Becket's murder is by his biographer Edward Grim in Vita S. Thomae, Cantuariensis Archepiscopi et Martyris, ed.

in James Robertson, Materials for the Life of Thomas Becket, (London: Rolls Series, 1875-1885) (7 vols.) Vol. II. (80) After the monks took [Thomas] through the doors of the church, the four aforementioned knights followed behind with a rapid pace. A certain subdeacon, Hugh the Evil-clerk, named for his wicked offense and armed with their malice, went with them - showing no reverence for either God or the saints because by following them he condoned their deed. When the holy archbishop entered the cathedral the monks who were glorifying God abandoned vespers - which they had begun to celebrate for God - and ran to their father whom they had heard was dead but they saw alive and unharmed. They hastened to close the doors of the church in order to bar the enemies from slaughtering the bishop, but the wondrous athlete turned toward them and ordered that the doors be opened.

"It is not proper," he said, "that a house of prayer, a church of Christ, be made a fortress since although it is not shut up, it serves as a fortification for his people; we will triumph over the enemy through suffering rather than by fighting - and we come to suffer, not to resist." Without delay the sacrilegious men entered the house of peace and reconciliation with swords drawn; indeed the sight alone as well as the rattle of arms inflicted not a small amount of horror on those who watched.

And those knights who approached the confused and disordered people who had been observing vespers but, by now, had run toward the lethal spectacle exclaimed in a rage: "Where is Thomas Becket, traitor of the king and kingdom?" No one responded and instantly they cried out more loudly, "Where is the archbishop?" Unshaken he replied to this voice as it is written, "The righteous will be like a bold lion and free from fear," he descended from the steps to which he had been taken by the monks who were fearful of the knights and said in an adequately audible voice, "Here I am, not a traitor of the king but a priest; why do you seek me?" And [Thomas], who had previously told them that he had no fear of them added, "Here I am ready to suffer in the name of He who redeemed me with His blood; God forbid that I should flee on account of your swords or that I should depart from righteousness." With these words - at the foot of a pillar - he turned to the right.

On one side was the altar of the blessed mother of God, on the other the altar of the holy confessor Benedict - through whose example and prayers he had been crucified to the world and his lusts; he endured whatever the murderers did to him with such constancy of the soul that he seemed as if he were not of flesh. The murderers pursued him and asked, "Absolve and restore to communion those you have excommunicated and return to office those who have been suspended." To these words [Thomas] replied, "No penance has been made, so I will not absolve them." "Then you," they said, "will now die and will suffer what you have earned." "And I," he said, "am prepared to die for my Lord, so that in my blood the church will attain liberty and peace; but in the name of Almighty God I forbid that you hurt my men, either cleric or layman, in any way." The glorious martyr acted conscientiously with foresight for his men and prudently on his own behalf, so that no one near him would be hurt as he hastened toward Christ.

It was fitting that the soldier of the Lord and the martyr of the Savior adhered to His words when he was sought by the impious, "If it is me you seek, let them leave." (81) With rapid motion they laid sacrilegious hands on him, handling and dragging him roughly outside of the walls of the church so that there they would slay him or carry him from there as a prisoner, as they later confessed.

But when it was not possible to easily move him from the column, he bravely pushed one [of the knights] who was pursuing and drawing near to him; he called him a panderer saying, "Don't touch me, Rainaldus, you who owes me faith and obedience, you who foolishly follow your accomplices." On account of the rebuff the knight was suddenly set on fire with a terrible rage and, wielding a sword against the sacred crown said, "I don't owe faith or obedience to you that is in opposition to the fealty I owe my lord king." The invincible martyr - seeing that the hour which would bring the end to his miserable mortal life was at hand and already promised by God to be the next to receive the crown of immortality - with his neck bent as if he were in prayer and with his joined hands elevated above - commended himself and the cause of the Church to God, St. Mary, and the blessed martyr St. Denis.

(82) He had barely finished speaking when the impious knight, fearing that [Thomas] would be saved by the people and escape alive, suddenly set upon him and, shaving off the summit of his crown which the sacred chrism consecrated to God, he wounded the sacrificial lamb of God in the head; the lower arm of the writer was cut by the same blow. Indeed [the writer] stood firmly with the holy archbishop, holding him in his arms - while all the clerics and monks fled - until the one he had raised in opposition to the blow was severed. Behold the simplicity of the dove, behold the wisdom of the serpent in this martyr who presented his body to the killers so that he might keep his head, in other words his soul and the church, safe; nor would he devise a trick or a snare against the slayers of the flesh so that he might preserve himself because it was better that he be free from this nature! O worthy shepherd who so boldly set himself against the attacks of wolves so that the sheep might not be torn to pieces! and because he abandoned the world, the world - wanting to overpower him - unknowingly elevated him. Then, with another blow received on the head, he remained firm.

But with the third the stricken martyr bent his knees and elbows, offering himself as a living sacrifice, saying in a low voice, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace death." But the third knight inflicted a grave wound on the fallen one; with this blow he shattered the sword on the stone and his crown, which was large, separated from his head so that the blood turned white from the brain yet no less did the brain turn red from the blood; it purpled the appearance of the church with the colors of the lily and the rose, the colors of the Virgin and Mother and the life and death of the confessor and martyr. The fourth knight drove away those who were gathering so that the others could finish the murder more freely and boldly.

The fifth - not a knight but a cleric who entered with the knights - so that a fifth blow might not be spared him who had imitated Christ in other things, placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr and (it is horrible to say) scattered the brains with the blood across the floor, exclaiming to the rest, "We can leave this place, knights, he will not get up again." But during all these incredible things the martyr displayed the virtue of perseverance. Neither his hand nor clothes indicated that he had opposed a murderer - as is often the case in human weakness; nor when stricken did he utter a word, nor did he let out a cry or a sigh, or a sign signaling any kind of pain; instead he held still the head that he had bent toward the unsheathed swords. As his body - which had been mingled with blood and brain - laid on the ground as if in prayer, he placed his soul in Abraham's bosom. Having risen above himself, without doubt, out of love for the Creator and wholly striving for celestial sweetness, he easily received whatever pain, whatever malice, the bloody murderer was able to inflict.

And how intrepidly - how devotedly and courageously - he offered himself for the murder when it was made clear that for his salvation and faith this martyr should fight for the protection of others so that the affairs of the church might be managed according to its paternal traditions and decrees. Translated by Dawn Marie Hayes [dms0603@is2.nyu.edu] This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book . The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use. Paul Halsall May 1997 Thomas Becket relic comes to England - CNN.com Thomas Becket relic comes to England By Cristiana Moisescu, CNN Updated 8:52 AM ET, Mon May 23, 2016 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

The reliquary holding Thomas Becket's arm fragment Story highlights Holy relic of murdered saint Thomas Becket returns to England for first time in centuries It arrives from Hungary's Esztergom Basilica, where it has been venerated for 800 years (CNN) A holy relic of the murdered saint Thomas Becket is to return to England for the first time in centuries as part of a pilgrimage tour. The relic, a fragment of bone thought to come from Becket's arm, is coming all the way from Hungary's Esztergom Basilica, where it has been venerated for almost 800 years. Hungary's President Janos Ader and Cardinal Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary will attend a celebratory mass in London's Westminster Cathedral . The bone fragment will then be put on display at Westminster Abbey and St Magnus the Martyr Church in London, Rochester Cathedral and Canterbury -- site of Becket's murder -- before being returned to Hungary. Read More "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?" Thomas Becket was a priest, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1161, during the reign of his friend, Henry II.

In 1170, when their friendship soured over dissensions between the Church and the monarchy, the king is reputed to have asked: "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?" Richard Burton playing Thomas Becket opposite John Gielgud as Louis VII of France in the 1964 movie "Becket." A short time later, Becket was murdered by four knights inside Canterbury Cathedral . Becket was canonized in 1173 and the first shrine dedicated to him, in the cathedral where he was killed, attracted pilgrims from around Europe, including Hungary. In 1220, when his tomb was opened and moved to a different burial place inside the cathedral's Trinity Chapel, it is rumored that two Hungarian priests were present. It is thought they may have taken the hand fragment back to Hungary, but exactly how it got to its present home remains a mystery. Becket became particularly important to Hungary in the 20th century, during the country's communist regime, when he was seen as a symbol of resistance against the State's interference in the Church.

The pilgrimage to Thomas Becket's tomb became so well known that Geoffrey Chaucer used it as the background to " The Canterbury Tales ." Becket's shrine was destroyed in 1538, on the orders of Henry VIII. Thomas Becket: a Great Medieval Murder - History in an HourHistory in an Hour Thomas Becket: a Great Medieval Murder Posted on by admin On 29 December 1170, four knights of King Henry II stormed into Canterbury Cathedral and murdered the Archbishop, Thomas Becket. His death provoked widespread horror and outrage, soon followed by a popular cult and rumours of miracles. Despite being hailed as a martyr and canonised in 1173, Becket remains one of the most controversial figures in English history. Early Life Born on 21 December 1120 (or 1118, according to some sources), Thomas Becket was the only surviving son of the prosperous London merchant, Gilbert Beket. As a boy Becket was educated at an Augustinian Priory in Merton, Suffolk and later at one of the London grammar schools. Although the youngster mastered the basic curriculum, evidence suggests that he preferred horses and hunting over academia.

From 1143 Becket worked as a clerk, securing employment in the house of the great London banker, Osbert Huitdeniers and, in 1145, in the household of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury. This was a huge achievement for Becket and would dramatically change the course of his life. The Rising Star Although not as well educated as his colleagues, Becket quickly made friends in his new appointment and found favour with the archbishop himself. He spent a year studying law at Bologna and Auxerre before being sent on missions to the papal curia. By 1154 Becket had secured the archdeaconry of Canterbury and was enjoying the wealth of his many benefices. The King’s Favourite Becket may well have played a role in securing the accession of the young Henry FitzEmpress (Henry II) to the throne of England in 1154. Either way, Becket, now serving as the royal chancellor, became a firm favourite of the new king. The two were virtually inseparable and Becket guided the young, hot-headed Henry through the early years of his reign.

He played a key role in Henry’s relations with the French King, Louis VII and in the expedition to Toulouse in 1159. When Theobald died in 1161, there was little doubt in Henry’s mind that Becket was the man for the job. Trouble Ahead? If Henry expected his new archbishop to submit to this authority, he was very much mistaken. Although initially reluctant to take the post, Becket threw himself into his new role and responsibilities. He recruited a large household staff, began studying theology and became particular generous in his alms-giving. But on receipt of his pallium and much to Henry’s disgrace, Becket resigned as both chancellor and archdeacon. Moreover, after attending the general council at Tours in 1163, Becket returned to England with a vow to become the defender of the rights of the English Church. The scene was now set for their first encounter. “Criminous Clerks” Under the benefit of clergy, any clergymen accused of committing a crime could not be tried and punished by a secular court of law.

This privilege infuriated Henry II (pictured) and in 1163 he proposed that these “criminous clerks” be stripped of their clerical protection. Needless to say, his proposal found no support among Becket or England’s bishops. In January 1164 Henry and his baron met with Becket and his bishops at Clarendon, near Salisbury, to further discuss this contentious issue. There, Henry presented the Constitution of Clarendon, a list of 16 clauses including his proposal for the treatment of criminous clerks. According to the chronicler, William of Newburgh, Becket and the bishops were so terrified by Henry’s ranting that they agreed to his demands and swore to abide by the constitutions. Henry may have felt victorious but, shortly after the meeting, Becket publicly repented the oath and reported the events to the Pope, who refused to confirm the new constitutions. Exile Henry was determined to punish Becket for his actions. During a land dispute in Pagham, in 1164, Becket was accused of contempt of court and forced to forfeit all his goods. He was next accused of embezzlement and summoned to Northampton.

After much discussion, Becket refused to hear the Council’s verdict and, that night, fled to the court of the French King, Louis VII. Becket was given asylum and returned to the Cistercian Abbey at Pontigny with his family and supporters, banished from England by Henry. Despite numerous attempts, the two men could not be reconciled. In fact, the situation got worse. In 1166, for example, Becket excommunicated all royal servants who had acted against him and Henry appealed to the Cistercians to expel Becket from the abbey. By 1167, even the Pope was growing weary of their dispute. In 1169, Henry made the first move at a serious reconciliation and offered to make several concessions, including the removal of any customs that Becket had previously opposed. But this was not enough for the archbishop and he further exacerbated the situation by excommunicating the bishops of London and Salisbury at Clairvaux in 1169. A Glimmer of Hope In May 1170, Henry had his son crowned by the Archbishop of York.

Although this was a massive blow to Becket, it put them firmly on the road to reconciliation. But it wasn’t the happy occasion that everybody had previously hoped for. Henry broke his promise to meet Becket on his arrival in England and instead seized the lands of the church at Canterbury. In addition, Henry’s son refused to meet him at Windsor and Becket retaliated by excommunicating the Archbishop of York. At his Christmas court in Normandy, Henry heard of Becket’s latest antic and exploded with rage. It is here that Henry uttered those famous words (there are several variations); ‘Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?’ Murder in the Cathedral Four knights – William de Tracey, Reginald Fitzurse, Hugh de Morville and Richard Brito – took Henry’s famous words to heart. They arrived in England on 28 December and travelled together to Canterbury Cathedral. A little after 2am on 29 December, Thomas Becket was dead. (Pictured is a depiction of Thomas Becket’s murder from the Book of Hours held at the British Library. Click to enlarge). Whether or not Henry wanted Becket dead, he took much of the blame for his murder.

Pope Alexander excommunicated the four knights responsible and banned Henry from taking Mass until he had completed penance. For this, Henry promised to provide money for 200 knights to go on Crusade, return all property to the church of Canterbury, abolish all customs deemed negative to the Church and to never interfere with the clergy’s appeals to Rome. He made these concessions publicly at Avranches in 1172 and, in return, secured England’s reconciliation with Rome. Henry was now absolved of Becket’s murder and continued to reign until his death in 1189. Kaye Jones ‘Thomas Becket,’ by John Guy - The New York Times The New York Times Sunday Book Review |Murder in the Cathedral Search ‘Thomas Becket,’ by John Guy By ALIDA BECKER Continue reading the main story “The biographer’s trap,” John Guy remarks in “Thomas Becket,” his portrait of that foremost friend turned foremost foe of Henry II, “is to look for a decisive moment of change.” But, he adds, “to do that is to write the history of the saint without his shadow.” With ­Becket, this temptation often seems to have been irresistible, from the very night of his murder, Dec.

29, 1170, near the high altar of Canterbury Cathedral. As a crowd swooped down on the battered corpse of the archbishop, tearing off pieces of clothing to dip in the gruesome puddle of his blood and brains, the outlines of the story of Becket’s sudden conversion from ­luxury-loving chancellor to ascetic defender of the church were already being rehearsed, soon to be followed by tales of his miraculous powers. Although Guy is known as a historian of the Tudor period, he admits to a long-held fascination with the 12th century’s “extraordinary galaxy of larger-than-life characters.” And his previous book, “A Daughter’s Love: Thomas More and His Dearest Meg,” must have provided ample psychological grounding for this new one, tracing another struggle between an imperious, unscrupulous monarch, Henry VIII, and another stubborn commoner who found it impossible to bend to the royal will. In the case of Becket, Guy was also aided by an array of firsthand source materials, many of them biographies written by men who knew Becket themselves.

Shrewdly contrasting them and assessing their biases, Guy has constructed his own modern successor, assisted by electronic search engines and high-resolution digital photography, which revealed previously invisible annotations in volumes from Becket’s personal library. After almost 900 years, are there any shocking discoveries to be made? Was Becket, as an “impressionable teenager,” rather more than the fast friend and protégé of Richer de l’Aigle, a Norman aristocrat and dashing older man who introduced him to hawking and hunting and courtly manners? Guy assembles enough evidence to suggest that Becket’s mother (to whom he was very close) might have tried to separate the pair by sending her son to Paris for schooling. But he hedges his bet, arguing that the adult Becket “could not have been homosexual” because Henry would have used this as evidence in the course of their deeply acrimonious public feud. Photo The Assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, 1170. Credit Hulton Archive/Getty Images And what of Henry and Becket’s own fabled closeness? Were they once “as inseparable as lovers or blood brothers”?

Here Guy deconstructs the conventional narrative to find hints of tension from the very beginning. Becket (a surname, we are reminded, that would rarely have been used by his contemporaries, and then usually as a slur to remind him of his origins as the son of a London merchant) had been placed in the royal household to be the eyes and ears of his predecessor as archbishop. More than a decade older than the young king, he was a talented bureaucrat and a useful tutor. But Henry gradually felt less need of such a guide. What he wanted was a trustworthy pawn, and he assumed he had created one when he made Becket his chancellor and then his archbishop. Becket’s decision to quit his government post and swear primary loyalty to the pope came as a shock and an outrage to a monarch not known for his even temper. Continue reading the main story And what of Becket’s decision itself?

Here Guy deftly sets a timeless and all-too-familiar emotional tussle — two proud men, each convinced he knows the other’s fatal weaknesses, each feeling grievously wronged — against the less familiar social and political landscape of medieval Europe, showing how Becket’s belief that his religion obliged him to oppose a tyrant evolved under the influence of various scholars. Just as important, Guy shows how Becket’s positions were shaped, during his forced exile from England, by the complex and often brutal maneuverings of rival popes, rival rulers, even rival clerics within his own church. Sometimes boxed in, sometimes miscalculating, dependent on networks of spies and bravura displays of piety and power, Becket and his sovereign engaged in a lengthy rivalry that looks more like a chess match than a morality play. Guy’s depiction of the succession of convocations and parleys where this struggle was enacted could have been as wearing as the meetings must have been for the participants. But he heightens their drama by stressing Becket’s flair for “set-piece encounters,” occasionally adding a twist of sardonic humor.

During one great council, deputations shuttled between Becket, on the ground floor of Northampton Castle wielding his cross like a battle lance against an insufficiently cooperative cleric, and Henry, upstairs shouting at his courtiers and refusing to descend lest a ­face-to-face encounter result in excommunication. After a later failed attempt at reconciliation in France, the order of service in the royal chapel was hastily changed when it looked as if Becket might unexpectedly appear: the liturgy for the day of the dead was substituted, thus eliminating the necessity for the usual “kiss of peace.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Both darkly comic and deeply tragic, Guy’s biography is a portrait of a saint with plenty of shadows. Does it diminish Becket for us to know that this future martyr in a hair shirt also made sure to keep a fine silk robe handy for his return to Canterbury, a stately progress one chronicler compared to Christ’s entry into Jerusalem? That his abstemious diet was partly the result of a lifelong susceptibility to colitis? That one of his oldest and closest friends would have found his canonization “utterly absurd”?

Only if we prefer the black-and-white certainties of hagiography to the convincingly human portrayal of a charismatic, contradictory individual who was, as Guy puts it, “as prickly as he was smooth . . . a man with the habits of a hedgehog.” THOMAS BECKET

Question: Thomas Becket was murdered where?
Answer: Canterbury Cathedral